The prior art meters for measuring the quantity of motion comprising sensor means attached to the waist of a user and having a pendulum for sensing vibrations accompanied by motion such as walking or running, transmission means for transmitting the swings of the pendulum to display means, and display means for displaying the swings of the pendulum as the quantity of motion includes pedometers for displaying the swings of the pendulum as the number of steps, mileage meters for calculating the number of steps in terms of mileage, and energy meters for determining the quantity of motion (cal) as the product of the length of time and the intensity of motion (cal/min) that is an energy consumption per unit time. However, these meters have needed a certain type of device for regulating the measurement condition for the following reasons.
Actual measurement has revealed that the speed of walking or running is in proportion to the acceleration acting upon the waist of a user, as shown by broken lines A and B in FIG. 1, and this relation also holds for the case of a straight line C obtained by synthesis of the lines A and B.
FIG. 2 shows the relations between the speeds of walking, walking on an upward slope and running and the energy consumptions (cal/min) thereof in terms of straight lines D, E and F, FIG. 3 shows the relation between the acceleration acting upon the waist and the energy consumption per Kg of weight (cal/Kg/min) in terms of a straight line G, and FIG. 4 shows the relation between the acceleration acting upon the waist and the energy consumption (cal/Kg/step) per step on level and in terms of a straight line H. As will be appreciated from these figures, the energy consumption is in proportion to the speed of motion, and the energy consumption per step varies depending upon sex, age, weight and height.
In the meters for measuring the quantity of motion, which include a pendulum for sensing vibrations accompanied by the motion of a user, it is required for the aforesaid reasons to regulate the sensitivity of the pendulum depending upon various conditions such as the type of motion, the sex of the user, etc. For instance, the applicant already filed Japanese Utility Model Application No. 58-142900 for a condition regulating device for meters for measuring the quantity of motion, wherein the sensitivity of a pendulum is adjustable depending upon various conditions.
That device is characterized by including an externally threaded regulating shaft having both its ends rotatably supported on a frame, a movable member designed to be in threaded engagement with the external thread of said shaft and reciprocate axially in association with the rotation of said shaft, a lower limit stopper for a pendulum, which is united with said movable member, an adjusting lever mounted on said frame, which has one end engaged with said movable member and rotates in association with the reciprocation of said movable member on said regulating shaft, and a loop-like spring having one end secured to said pendulum and the other end secured to the other end of said adjusting lever.
As already mentioned, during motion, the acceleration and the energy consumption are in proportion to the speed. Now let us assume that this relation and the stride are proportionate to the speed. The magnitude of the quantity of motion is then determined by the lower limit stopper depending upon the conditions relating to a user, the type of motion such as walking, running, etc. Subsequently, the predetermined quantity of deflection is applied through the adjusting lever on the spring, whose spring properties show the relation between the amount of deflection of the spring and the spring load, and satisfies direct proportion, as shown by a straight line I in FIG. 5, whereby the quantity of amplitude of the pendulum is balanced with respect to the spring load depending upon various states of motion.
However, actual measurement has indicated that the relation between the speed and the stride during motion is expressed in the form of a substantial parabola, as shown by a curve J in FIG. 6. Thus, the assumption that the stride is in proportion to the speed leads to overestimation of the speed relative to the stride, making the calculated energy value larger than the actual value. With this device, it receives increased acceleration during running, so that the pendulum collides with the lower limit stopper to produce irregular vibrations. Such vibrations are in turn transmitted to display means as noises detrimental to accurate determination of the quantity of motion.